Projectile.



No. 893,963.l y PATENTEDJULY 271, 1908. o. VAN G. WHEELER E A. E. MOKENNA. PEOJEGTILE CHARLES VAN ClSE WHEELER AND AL XANDER GEQRC MCKENN, 0F llTTSBURG, PENN- SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO Fili-TH STERLNG STEEL COMPANY, A CORPORATlON OF PENN- SYLVAN lA.

No. 393,963, f

Spectcaton ci Letters latent.

satelites rely ai, isos.

.application i'leil {lunc il, 1985. Serid No. 321,3ll5,

has shown that the tip of a shell usually survives contact with the armor plate, but that the point or" the shell the rear of this tip is frequently broken into fragments, the rupture extending to the forward enel ci the chainher, the chamber being disrupted without effecting penetration.

The present invention secures greater strength. ol the point at the rear of the tip oy increasing the diameter or" the shell at this point and an increased punch-like action oi the shell in its inovenient through the plate.

lV e have found our improvement niost ellective when applied to shells of large caliher, Vsay troni eight to twelve inch.

le have illustrated in the drawing in verf tical section a i'zwelve-inch shell, the scale of course heing reduced.

l designates the shell, having the usualV cylindric portion and point 3. The shell is shown as provided with a chamber 1i, hand score and hand 5 and rear closure 6. The tip 7 of the shell is provided with a cap 8, se cured in the present nieans of a steel rod 9. This method of securing the cap to the shell is shown in our United States Fatent M8527, granted January 5th, 190e. The usual ogival curve of the shell is shown hy a dotted line l0, l'n the present instance We' depart from this hy forming a shoulder' ll., in the present instance immediately in the rear ci the cap Sand having its forward end preferably extending within the rear end of the cap so that the cap ahuts thereagainst. The shoulrle", as shown, has at its forward end a rentrant curve l2, the radius of which is for a twelve inch preferably three inches.. ltvvill he seen that the forward end oi 1the shoulder or swell ll', is placed less than one-half diameter or caliber instance to the shell hy shellol the shell from the tip of the shell and that the entire shoulder is located between the tip of the shell and the forward end of the chamber l and relatively near the tip.

lt is 'required in Government tests that shell shall pass through a Krupp steel arrnor plate oi one diameter thickness, that is, that a twelve-inch shell shall he capable of passing through a steel plate twelve inches in thickness and having a hardened face, the chamber to pass through intact. Vvvhile it is impossible to determine precisely all the effects either on the shell or the plate caused hy impact, We may, for purposes oi discussion, divide the arinor plate into three layers, first, the hardened and hangih'le face; second, the tough and semi-hardened mid layer; and third, the soit hacking, which comprises the major part of the thickness el the plate. Without discussing the action of the cap, or rather, considering it as etlective to protect the tip of the shell during impact, the ellect ot' the tip is to hrealr up a certain area of the hard trangihle tace oi the armor plate into ilalies or iraeinents which ly oil' in all directions. We oelieve that, theoretically, the hotly of theshell should then act to carry 'Wien it and in iront of it a button or punching of the hard niid section through the soit hacking. The ogival point oiE the shell, as conrnonly inacle and as shown in vdotted lines in our drawing, tends instead to split apart this punching into irregular sectors, which,hecoining wedged between the point oi the shell andthe sott backing, have tendency to disrupt the shell, and to interfere very seriously with penetration by setting up opposing l' ies ofA resistance at considerable angles with the line of penetration. y

The improved hlunted portion oi the point ol our shell seems to act to prevent this breaking up of this hutten or punching, tending to punch it out and carry it hack less broken, and to very much lessen the Wedging action. We inay summarize its advantages as tollows: llirst, increased strength of certain cross sectional segments of the point of eiecto the fractured mid ring by increasing the tendency to impart to the mid ring the ystresses by which the walls adjacent the forforwar motion of the' projectile. Fourth, decreasing the tendency of the sectors of the lmid ring to Wedge against the shell which prevents serious scoring and perhaps breaking of the'shell. Fifth, prompt starting of the punching action bythe pushing of the l mid ring portion against. and through the soft back. Sixth, giving support to the base 'of the point tip by the rapidly increased' cross sectional area at its rear. Seventh, by reason ofthe extra metal in the shoulder decreasing shellY Weight atthe rear of the critical planesand consequent lessening of crushing Wardy end of the chamber are disrupted. Eighth, suddenly increasing the cross secf tionalarea ofthe shell brings the 'maximum pressure against the plate earlier and so reeves this maximum pressure prior to the final f forcing through of the bourrellet. Ninth, ap roximately giving to the face and mid ring oi the plate three distinct blows of the shell proper aside from the impact ofthe cap,

first, the impact of the point ti second, the

blow caused4 by the raised sioulder, and

gained without third, the `iinal blow caused by the increase in diameter up to the bourrellet.

We indthat the Hight or trajectory of the shell is in no Wise diminished by ,the change in form so that all the advantages named are any impact loss due to lessened speed. f

What We claim is y f 1. A pointed projectile havin a solid cap on its point and a bulge or s oulder surrounding' the oint in the rear of the cap and against W lich shoulder the' base of the cap is seated, said bulge or shoulder being oi' .a sizeI slightl projectilean exposed in the rear of thecap less than the caliber of the for 'effecting a punch-like action following the impact'o the cap and tip,

2, A pointed projectile having a solid cap units-point and a bulge or 'shoulder sureeaees rounding the point in the rear oi' the cap and constituting lexposed shoulder for following the cap and tip oi the shell and acting lilre a punch on impact.

3. in projectile having a cap ed point which isqnodied from tue ogiva form by having an enlargement or shoulder inthe rearoi the cap and oi nearly the same diameter as the maximum diameter of the shell for acting like a punch after the cap and the sharp tip of the shell have attacked 'the'` plate to penetrated.

4. A capped projectile having a shoulder abutting against the rear end oi the cap and forming apunch-iike portion in the rear or and oi greater diameter than the cap, 'for `substaaitially the purposes set forth.

5. projectile having a ypoint modified from an apprbximately ogival form by a swell orshoulder lying outside the ogival curve nd presenting a relatively blunt punch-like ,portion the maximum divergencel penetration'or" the late the diameter through said swell being shghtiy less than 'the caliber of the shell and the'said swell or shoulder lying outside of the true ogival curve.

in testimony whereof We have signed this specification in the presence of" two subscribing Witnesses. v

` VCHARLES VAN OISE WHEELER.

' Y zlliiililiNlElt GEGRGE 'clillllilil Witnesses:

faires E. l3on'rnis, linens' al. Harmsen. 

